I had Dr. James Whittaker for a class or two during my time at Florida Tech. He was a very interesting professor, and taught one of the few classes that I would attend 100% of the time. After school, he randomly appeared in my news feed with his viral blog post on “Why I left Google”. In a recent episode of a podcast I subscribe to, Software Engineering Radio, he was interviewed on the topic of career strategy.
This episode is a must listen for newer engineers or other people that aren’t already using his strategies. The main points for career success are roughly:
- Develop the skills you enjoy (ideally a short list with newer technology)
- Become an expert
- Profit
I think the material applies to just about everyone in the workforce. He’s a great storyteller, and leaves the listener with an actionable homework assignment to help with career growth. After all these years, I’m still watching lectures and getting homework assignments from Dr. Whittaker. This time it’s without the student debt.
